Cry
by ella nchanted
Summary: Everything happened in one night, but he told from twenty years in the future.    Draco's POV, Dramione, GW/HP, RW/PP. Rated T for very minor violence description due to war  also for safety sake .


**A/N: Okay, so, be for warned that this is REALLY sad! I almost couldn't finish writing it myself because I kept crying, no joke! And when you get to the really sad part, PLEASE keep reading! My friend was all, "Well that's the end of that so why keep reading?" Just keep reading, cause he did and he really liked it when he was done reading it!**

1/17/12: I found several mistakes that I had gone through and corrected. Plus, I added small bits to a couple sentences so that they make more sense.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters, blah blah blah... Song accreditation goes to Mandy Moore for her song from the _A Walk To Remember_ Soundtrack "Cry".**

_I'll always remember, it was late afternoon. _  
><em>It lasted forever, and ended so soon. <em>  
><em>You were all by yourself, staring up at the dark gray sky. <em>  
><em>I was changed.<em>

It was unusual that I took a walk at about five in the afternoon. School may have only been in session for about a month, but as I was the second smartest student in my class, Head Boy, and ahead in my work like I'm pretty sure the smartest student in our class was also, aka the Head Girl; so I chose to walk around the lake today. I was close to missing dinner, and I really didn't care; I just really needed time alone.

I was kind of shocked when I came upon her and she wasn't studying but instead staring out at the lake daydreaming. She looked straight up at me, smiled, and looked at the lake again. It wasn't a clear blue day, it looked more like it was going to rain; even though you could barely tell since it was almost dark anyways. But I think the scene before me is what shocked me most. The other thing that shocked me most was the fact that she didn't even make a "ferret" comment.

"Hello, Draco," she said quietly, still looking at the lake. "What are you doing out here? I thought you'd be at dinner by now."

"I'm... Um, I decided to take a walk," I said. "Um, may I?" I gestured to the space on the ground next to her, and she nodded. We both sat in silence for a bit. "So," I said after a minute. "What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?" She looked at me before realizing that I had asked her something, and exactly what it was. "Oh, it's nothing," she said quietly. I saw a tear fall down her cheek, which I caught with my hand before she had the chance to wipe it away. I caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes before she looked away again. I had never seen her so vulnerable like this before; no matter when the Boy Wonder and his sidekick hurt her, she was never like this.

And suddenly like before when I was around her, I got this funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.

_In places no one will find, _  
><em>All your feelings so deep inside. <em>  
><em>Was there that I realized that forever was in your eyes<br>The moment I saw you cry._

"Hermione," I whispered, "school's barely been in session a month, it's not even October yet and you're already in tears. It's not nothing." She looked at me. "Please? I won't tell anyone, I promise. And when I make a promise I keep it."

She sighed and looked at her hands. "I just miss my parents is all." I arched a brow. After six years, you would have thought that someone would quit missing their parents. Almost like she read my mind, she continued. "Since the war is inevitably approaching, I obliviated them and sent them away with new identities until it's over." My eyes grew; she had sacrificed her family-so to speak-for Wonder Boy. I hadn't always hated her; she'd been blossoming lately, a caterpillar turning into a butterfly really. But at that moment, I admired her more than ever.

I realized when I first approached her she called me Draco. I watched her silent tears, and was wondering if she ever really hated me. I always did regret calling her a Mudblood second year, she didn't deserve it. I began to hurt for her, and I took her hand in mine; though I wanted to do more.

_It was late in September, and I'd seen you before. _  
><em>You were always the cold one. But I was never that sure. <em>  
><em>You were all by yourself, staring up at a dark gray sky. <em>  
><em>I was changed. <em>

I sighed, looking at her. Just seeing her cry, it changed something in me. She had a loving family that she had willingly sent away. "Hermione, I need to tell you something. But you have to promise me that you will go straight to McGonagall," I said, grasping her hand. Screw Voldemort, screw my family; I needed to acknowledge to myself finally that I loved the girl-no, woman-in frount of me.

She nodded. "I promise, Draco."

I looked around before looking back at her again, looking directly into her eyes. "Voldemort," I said. Her eyes grew.

"Tonight?" I swallowed and nodded. "You're positive?" I nodded again, and watched her hand cover her mouth. She thought for a moment, before confusion covered her face. "Wait, why are you telling me this?" Instead of telling her, I decided to show her. I took a deep breath, leaned forward, and kissed her. After a moment, I pulled away.

"I love you," I said. "I have since probably fourth year. But you really caught my attention in third year when you punched me." Her eyes were wide, but she smiled and kissed me. It took me a moment to realize what she was doing before I began to return it.

"I love you too, Draco," she whispered. When she looked at me again, I saw more tears falling from her eyes. I wiped them away for her. "Before I tell McGonagall, you have to make me a promise." I nodded, and she took a breath. "If anything happens to me tonight-"

"No, Mia, don't think like that," I said. She arched her eyebrow. "I always call you Mia in my mind." She smiled.

"I love it," she said. Then she got serious. "But I mean it, Draco. Unless you can predict the future, you never know what will happen." She closed her eyes, put her lips to my hand and let them linger. "If anything happens to me tonight, I want you to find my parents and restore their memories." She pulled out an envelope. "Here is a letter for them, and a piece of parchment with where and who they think they are."

I took it from her and looked at it for a moment before I looked at her. "Why me?" I asked her hoarsely. She smiled.

"Because I love you, and I know that you'll get through tonight. But I'm one of the Golden Trio, they're going to aim for me." She gave a short, dry laugh. "Being a Muggleborn doesn't help either."

I kissed her forehead and looked into her tear-filled eyes. "I promise, Mia. I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too." She stood to go tell McGonagall, and I stood with her.

"I promise: I will find you after the battle, I will take you to your parents, and I will marry you when this is all over." She nodded, smiling a bit. Thinking quickly, I took her right hand and took her Gryffindor and Head Girl class ring from her before I took mine off of my right ring finger also (mine being Slytherin and Head Boy). I switched our ring sizes quickly with my wand; then I put my Emerald Slytherin ring onto her left ring finger, then hers onto my ring finger. "This is my promise to you," I said, holding up my left hand which now held my Ruby Gryffindor ring.

She smiled and kissed me. "Thank you," she said before hugging me. "I love you, Draco Malfoy."

I held back tears. "I love you too, Hermione Granger," I said. I looked at her one last time before kissing her more passionately than I had kissed anyone before; I kissed her as though I would never kiss her again.

"Draco," she said looking at me. "Everyone is at dinner. Let's head to our dorm." She smiled a bit. "How long do we have?"

I looked at the watch my mother gave me for my seventeenth birthday. "Enough time," I said, grabbing her hand and rushing with her to our dorm room. Surprisingly, she tugged me towards my room; and we spent an hour in there together.

_In places no one will find, _  
><em>All your feelings so deep inside. <em>  
><em>Was there that I realized that forever was in your eyes <em>  
><em>The moment I saw you cry.<em>

She ran to McGonagall, and I barely had enough time to make it to Snape. At nine sharp, the battle had begun. I'd seen her a few times during, but only in passing. At one point we were battling directly behind each other. I refused to kill anyone, and stunned the Order Member I was battling for their own safety.

We stopped, about to attack each other. "I love you," she said breathlessly. We kissed, and I hugged her quickly.

"I love you too; be safe, Mia," I said before kissing her forehead, and both of us went opposite directions.

I saw her again when Voldemort carried Harry's body out to everyone. I could see the tears that were streaming down her's and the little Weasley's faces. Once the curses started firing, I lost her again; just about the time, I noticed that Potter's body went missing.

I thought I had figured out what happened, which meant that she would be safe; no curses would touch anyone. I began to battle the little Weasley, but she knew something was up because while it looked like I was battling and aiming at her, I was actually aiming at Death Eaters behind her; she figured it out quickly and began doing the same thing.

We all heard an angry yell, and we all looked to see Potter and Voldemort. A few words were exchanged, and Voldemort fell dead.

Almost immediately, I had Order Members and Aurors surrounding and cuffing me. I thought I was a gonner; but then little Weasley yelled at them. "Wait! He's okay!" And then explained what happened there at the end, how we aimed over each other's shoulders at the Death Eaters. They used _Veritaserum _on me to discover that it was the truth, and that I had only stunned their people to keep them from getting killed.

I thanked her when they were done, and then I began to panic; there should have been someone else defending me. "Ginny," I said, shocking her slightly. "Where's Mia?"

"Who?"

"Hermione!" I gently placed my hands on her shoulders. "Where's Hermione? I lost her when Voldemort lost Harry after curses started flying." She began to open her mouth, when there was a scream behind me. We turned around to see a mass of brown curls on the floor, and Lavender Brown over the body. Ginny and I began to think the same thing. "No!" We bolted to the body, I was praying so hard that it wasn't her. I pushed Brown out of my way and gave a painful cry. "No!" I screamed, tears beginning to fall down my face. I flung myself over her body. "Mia, Mia love, no! Please, Merlin, please no!" Ginny knelt down next to me, and laid a hand on my shoulder. I quickly whipped out my wand. "_Renervate!_" I shouted. Her body didn't move, her glossy eyes still staring up at me. "_Renervate! Renervate! RENERVATE!_"

"Draco," Ginny said gently. I looked up at her through tear filled eyes. "She's gone," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears also. "Hermione's gone."

"No," I cried, laying my forehead against her lap. "She can't be gone, Ginny, she just can't!" I looked up at her. "I promised I'd take her to her parents, that after this was all over I'd marry her. She can't be gone," I cried again, lowering my head yet again. There was another scream behind us, and we both looked up to see Ginny's mother and family standing around another body.

"No," this time Ginny said. I stood and helped her up, both of us going over to where her family now stood. "Ron," she whispered.

We both stood over Mrs. Weasley, who was crying. "Ron," I said quietly, probably shocking everyone around me. I knelt down beside him and took his hand. "Were you stabbed?" Wordlessly, with ragged breathing, he nodded. I swore beneath my breath, and looked left to seeing father's dead body; his hidden blade was only slightly showing. "Ron," I looked at him again, "did you kill my father?" He nodded again. I looked sadly at Mrs. Weasley, who was looking at me through sad and confused eyes. "My father must have stabbed him before he killed him. He has a cursed blade that kill quickly but painfully." I shook my head. "He will die soon," I said quietly. I looked into the eyes of Potter and every Weasley around me. "I'm so sorry." Mrs. Weasley gave a cry, and turned into her husband's shoulder.

I looked at Weasley again. "Can you do something for me?"

He smirked a bit. "Sure F-Ferret," he choked out, smiling.

I smiled. "Forgive me?" I whispered. "I've been jealous of you for years. You had a family that was big and loved you." I looked at Potter. "You had parents that would sacrifice everything for you, even their lives; mine would sacrifice me for everything they own." I looked at Weasley again. "And I'm sorry it was my father that did this to you." Weasley smiled and nodded. I looked at Potter who also nodded. "Thank you," I whispered. I looked at Weasley. "One more thing?" He nodded again. "Tell Hermione I love her, and take care of her for me."

"S-Sure. A-And tell P-Pansy I l-love her," her said. I nodded, and he let go of his last breath.

"Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley yelled. Ginny turned her head into Potter's shoulder as her mother flung herself over Weasley's body. I looked at Mr. Weasley.

"Let me pay for his burial," I said. Several of the Weasley's looked at me. "Please, it's what I can do. I'm ashamed to say it was my father that did this. Please, let me take care of it for you."

Mr. Weasley nodded. "Thank you, Draco," he said. That was when I noticed that one of the brilliant twins was lying next to Weasley. I nodded my head towards him also, saying I would take care of it too. "And Fred?" I nodded. "Are you sure?"

"You were like family to Mia," I said hoarsley. "It's the least I can do." Before I knew it, Mrs. Weasley had thrown her arms around me and was crying her thanks. I patted her back. "I never truly hated any of you, I envied you all for having what I didn't." I heard a scream that sounded like Pansy's from behind me, and I turned around. She was white as a ghost, and looking at Weasley's body before me. She was next to fling herself over his body. I laid a hand on her shoulder and he looked at me. "His last words," I said quietly, "was that he wanted you to know that he loves you." She broke down crying even harder, and she and Mrs. Weasley cried on each other's shoulders.

_I wanted to hold you, I wanted to make it go away. _  
><em>I wanted to know you, I wanted to make your everything alright.<em>

It had only been three days since the final battle. I had told the Weasleys to plan both funerals however they wanted, and to tell them to charge it to the Malfoys. If they had any problems they had an authenticated note from me saying to charge it to me. Pansy had been excepted quite well by his family, especially when they discovered that he had proposed to her the day before the battle at the same time that she was going to ask him; they switched rings as Mia and I had. Mrs. Weasley immediately told her that if she wanted that she could go legally turn into a Weasley; the two of them and Ginny were going to the Ministry today to do just that.

I was on my way to Australia to find Mia's parents when the three of them went to the Ministry. Quite soon, I found myself outside the front door of a couple with the last name of Wilkins. I timidly knocked on the door, and her mother opened it. I had all I could do to keep myself from crying, Mia had looked just like her mother. "Mrs. Wilkins?" I asked, my voice breaking.

"Yes? May I help you?"

I looked down to remember what Mia had made them believe. "You remember the assistant to you and your husband?" She nodded. "I am a friend of hers. She sent me to see you, she had some things she found that needed to be discussed. She couldn't make it due to a... Family, um, Emergency."

"Oh!" Mrs. Granger cried. "Come in, please." I nodded my thanks, afraid to speak. "Would you like anything to drink?" I shook my head. She smiled. "Why don't you have a seat in the living room, and I'll go get Wendell." I nodded, and sat on the couch.

Mia's parents entered, and I stood; I wasraised with manners. "Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins," I said. They nodded, and I took out my wand. Mrs. Granger's eyes widened. "I'm sorry," I whispered, before muttering the spell to restore their memories. Mrs. Granger shook her head. "Mrs. Granger? Mr. Granger?" I asked timidly. Mia's mother looked at me confused.

"Where's Hermione? Wait," she said, "don't I know you? I've seen you when we take Hermione to the train for school." Tears had already been forming in my eyes, and at that they spilled over. I sat on the couch, and she rushed to my side. "What's wrong?" I shook my head and handed her the letter. She looked at Mr. Granger, and began to read. I can honestly say that I have no idea what she wrote. She gasped a couple times, and looked at Mr. Granger before handing the letter to her husband. I looked at her, and she was crying; then she suddenly hugged me. She let go, and something caught her eye; it was Mia's ring. "You loved her?"

"Yes Ma'am," I whispered, my resolve pretty much gone. Unlike my mother, she took me into her arms and let me cry. And for some reason, I felt the way I had after making love when we held each other.

_I'll always remember, it was late afternoon. _

After the funerals, I finished helping the Grangers move back into their house. They didn't stay there long, it reminded them too much of Mia. With both my parents dead, the Manor, their money, and all their assets were mine; shortly after the Grangers told me to call them Mum and Dad, I invited them to move into one of the Malfoy houses. I petitioned the Ministry to let them join the Wizarding World in a different way than most Muggleborn parents were, for them to be noted as Squibs more so than Muggles; they accepted, and Mum and Dad were allowed into allwizarding things.

Mum and Dad were happy, Mum started crying. They moved into a house that Potter and I bought together and fixed up just for them. I honestly could have bought it myself, but when he heard about my petition he wanted to help me do something for them; so I told him about them not quite being able to choose which Malfoy house to live in. That's when we chose to buy the Shrieking Shack. When we were done, you'd never had known what it was prior.

_In places no one will find._

When we surprised them, Mum started to cry. They practically lived on Hogwarts property. Apart from myself, there are wards up to protect them from and unfriendly Death Eaters left out there. I also gave them an Elf that has specific instructions to come get either me or Harry if anything happened... Okay, I didn't really give them the Elf; it's Dobby, if that explains anything.

Ginny and Harry got married right after the war; she's still finishing her last year while pregnant with my Goddaughter, Mia Lily. I cried when she came to me about being her Godfather, and I cried even harder when she told me her name. She just found out that she's also having my Godson, Ronald James aka Ron. And Pansy is their Godmother; of course, it was Pansy who insisted that Mia only be our Goddaughter's nickname in place of her full name: Hermione.

Ron, Mia, and Fred are all buried beside each other in Hogsmade. Pansy and I visit their graves once a month together with our hypothetical in-laws. Every year on the Anniversary of the war, while Hogwarts has a big celebration, I take an hour to go visit Mia. I laughed with her six years back about how somehow Ron looks like Weasley and Mia looks like her. Ginny says it's almost like having them back, while Harry laughs at how Ron and Mia are exactly like Weasley and Mia; including the study habits and fighting.

I sat down with Mia Lily right before she started her seventh year this year, and explained to her how I'm getting older and have no heir. I told her that her namesake and I never had children before she died, and I have no one to pass down any of my legacy to. I made her promise me to keep her parents tradition of having a flower name, or my family's of a constellation for the rest of her children and grandchildren that she would one day have. After she made me that promise, I told her that when I pass, she will inherit all of the Malfoy things as I found a loophole in the original Malfoy will. Before she left Mum and Dad's to head up to the castle with me for the Opening Feast, she threw her arms around me and told me that she loved me. I cried as I told her that I loved her too, and was very proud of her for making Head Girl.

_In places no one will find, _  
><em>All your feelings so deep inside. <em>  
><em>Was there that I realized that forever was in your eyes <em>  
><em>The moment I saw you cry.<em>

It's been eighteen years since the Final Battle, and I still wear her Gryffindor Head Girl class ring on my left hand as she was buried with mine. Ginny, Neville Longbottom, Harry, and Loony Lovegood all teach with me at Hogwarts; I in Potions, Ginny in Transfiguration, Neville in Herbology, Harry in DADA, and Lovegood in Divination when it was discovered that she is a seer. Daily, all of us see Hermione and Weasley in Mia and Ron.

Pansy also works with us at Hogwarts, but she is an extraordinary case. After taking the Weasley name and moving into the Burrow with all the Weasleys, she began to take on Mr. Weasley's Muggle fascination and questioned Mum and Dad herself. She now co-teaches Muggles Studies with Mum, who McGonagall welcomed with open arms into Hogwarts.

It's been eighteen years to the day since Mia, and I miss her more than anything. But I will always remember that one say in late September, when I realized my forever was with her when I came upon her crying.

**Epilogue**

Twenty years to the day of Mia's death in the war, and I was pleasantly joined in the cemetery of Hogsmade today. I left the celebration early to visit her, and to tell her that my beautiful Goddaughter and her namesake had married her father's Godson Teddy. She was now four months pregnant with a little boy, who's name was Draco James Lupin; for her father, Teddy's father (last name), and her Godfather. Just as I finished telling her this, Mum surprised me by clearing her throat.

"Mum," I said, getting up to greet her. "I thought you'd be at the celebration with everyone else. What are you doing out here?"

She shrugged. "I always see you disappear, I figured I'd come see where to." She looked at Mia's grave. "Hi sweetheart," she whispered, kissing her fingers and then placing them onto Mia's gravestone. She looked at me again. "Draco, dear, you never read the letter you gave us from Hermione twenty years ago did you?"

"No, Mum, I never did," I answered, shrugging my shoulders. "She just told me how to find you and that she wanted me to give it to you." I closed my eyes, remembering and seeing that day as if it were yesterday. "She told me that she chose me because she loved me and knew I'd get through the night." When I opened my eyes, my vision was blurred; I could barely make out her face, but I could tell her hand covered her mouth in surprise.

Wordlessly, she reached into her robes and pulled out a slightly yellowing piece of parchment and handed it to me. Confused, I took it and opened it. I nearly dropped it when I saw her beautiful, neat handwriting.

_Mum and Dad, _

_If you're getting this, it means that I'm dead. Mummy, if you think you recognize the man who brought this to you, you're right. Draco brought this to you by my request. Yes Mummy, Draco; the same Draco that you always heard me cry about. He doesn't know that I know that it will be him to give this to you. I'm writing this in my Head Girl dorm on the first night back. He'll approach me soon, I know it. I don't know why, but he will._

_Last year, I came across him upset; he was crying. He doesn't know about it because I stayed in the shadows. The only reason I came upon him was because he was at the top of the Astronomy Tower, the place that I always told you about where I go to think. I'd already been falling for him for a while. But something inside of me __really_ _changed when I saw him crying; he just looked so vulnerable. I love him, Mum, I really do. But, onto why you're really getting this now who's giving it to you._

_The last thing you'll probably remember is right before he end of summer. To you, I haven't left for the Burrow for the wedding yet. Well, it's probably been a while since then, I'll never know. _

_But Mum, you had called me down to tea just after I had finished packing your's and Dad's things. You were both downstairs and I was leaving soon to help the Order transport Harry. You never knew about that because I decided not to tell you since I was going through with my plan prior to leaving._

_Well, I came downstairs and Obliviated you both. I pretended to be your assistant who was there to make sure that you got into your cab to leave for Australia. I couldn't live with myself if you were both in danger during the war, so I made you into Wendell and Monica Wilkins. I saw it as a better thing for you to live without knowing me._

_I had planned to restore your memories myself, but obviously fate has found otherwise and it was Draco who did it. _

_I love him, Mum. Please, get to know and love __him__; not the him I always cried to you about. He truly is a good man, he will take care of you._

_Your Loving Daughter,_  
><em>Hermione<em>

_P.S._  
><em>Don't grieve for me, we'll see each other again someday. I love you all.<em>

I looked up from the letter with tears in my eyes. I looked at Mum. "She knew?" I asked. "She loved me for a while, and she somehow just knew I would come to her that night and tell her I love her?"

"Basically," Mum said. "She knew you were a good man on the inside." She laid a hand on my cheek. "And she was right. You are a good man." I looked at her grave again, still crying.

"I love you so much, Mia," I said. I hugged Mum, crying on her shoulder a bit. "I miss her so much, Mum. It's been twenty years."

"I miss her too, Draco," she said. Soon, Pansy and Mrs. Weasley joined us. Pansy and I never crossed paths here on the Anniversary; but today it was a good thing.

"Twenty years," Pansy whispered. I nodded, and we all held onto each other for a long, quiet time; even after it had began to rain, our tears mixing with the droplets.

~*~C~*~

The one thing that none of the four knew, as they stood there twenty years later, was that Hermione and Ron had been watching them from beyond for twenty years since the day they had died.

Hermione looked on with tears in her eyes, Ron placed an arm around her shoulder. "How did this happen, Ron? Shouldn't we be there with them, celebrating Harry's defeat?" He rubbed her shoulder lightly.

"Yes, 'Mione, we should be," he said gently. "But at least they have each other." There were two sparkles, as the light around them caught the two Slytherin rings that would always adore their hands. Hermione raised a hand to her mouth, as Ron spoke quietly. "I will always love you, Pansy."

The tears began to slip down her face. "And I will always love you, Draco, my love," she whispered. And as her tears fell, it slowly began to rain upon the scene they watched.

_The moment I saw you cry, I wanted to know you._

**A/N: Sooo, whatchya think? I'm not used to writing something really sad like this or just a single one-shot song fic. Also, of the original writing, that last half of the part in Draco's POV beginnning with "even after it had begun to rain" and following to the end of the third person view with Ron and Hermione was NOT included... I actually had just put that in just now right before submitting it. :)**


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